What would you get instead of an X2

Seems like the X2 is a really popular boat. According to what I read/see it appears to have a TON of room for a 20' boat. So assuming you are limited by the cost/length of the X2, what would you buy instead? What is the greatest competition for the X2?

Wakesetter VTX. Huge behind the windshield, great performance, awesome rough water ride. excellent tracking, 1250# Programmable ballast, wedge. etc... etc...

Epic 23V without question. Can find them for less than the X2....23 foot though if that is a concern

(Message edited by _vitty_ on September 11, 2009)

MB B52V TWB - 21 ft and has a ton of room, fits in standard garage, 1800 lbs of ballast and incredible wake. Got a 25 hour 2010 for sale too

MB B52V TWB - 21 ft and has a ton of room, fits in standard garage, 1800 lbs of ballast and incredible wake. Ian at Only Inboards has a 25 hr 2010 for sale....

Seriously, I don't see how anyone could ever water test an X2, VTX, and TWB. and then buy anything but the TWB. Call me bias, but I have driven and ridden behind all of the above and I have a TWB. It is black an white after getting on the water with one.

your bias

I'm not biased and I agree with Ian and Alan... the only boat in that size range that competes with the X2 in terms of space is the MB B52 Team Widebody. That boat is sweet...

I didn't realize you are in IL. I'm in IL too and you can even come demo my boat anytime you want. Boat is close to Galesburg, IL.

14' john boat

My post is a little strong. I know there are a lot of people out there that have X2's and VTX's and are extremely happy with them. The fact of the matter is that there are probably close to 10-20 X2's and VTX's to every 1 TWB out there. I would venture to guess that if there were an equal amount of MB dealers and if everyone that looked at an X2 or VTX also looked at a TWB, it would be much closer to 1:1:1. In my region there is a Centurion, Mastercraft, MB, Malibu, and Tige dealer. Within 50 miles of my house, the lakes and rivers are close to 50% MBs on the water an any given day.

Bottom line, if you have an MB dealer remotely close to you, go check one out.

Nick, where are you in IL? If you wanted to make a day of it, there is a MC dealer on I-74 pretty close to the I 55 interchange. he's got a private lake to run his boats on. Then you can run down I-74 about 1.5-2 hours from there and try out Onlyinboards' MB.

I'm a happy X2 owner... I could have gotten a great deal on a MB... but.. decided to go with MC for service where I'm located (even though the nearest MC dealer is about 3 1/2 hrs away...no MB dealers remotely close).... and resell value.

I checked out the X2.. as I needed something that would fit in a small garage. Turns out the way the picklefork trailer and the fold down platform is, ends up being a lot longer for storage. I like the boat but wasn't a huge fan of the interior. The best plus about the X2 is the massive storage up front. However it needs a lot of weight to get a good wake.

I ended up buying a VTX... love it. Feels like a cadillac inside, tons of room, stock wake with mls and wedge is sweet, I added a couple of vdrive sacs plumbed into the stock ballast and some pop bags and the wake is crazy like a vlx or lsv wake. I'm riding 10' back from my old boat and still landing way out in the flats.

I do like the MB also... great boat for the $$. Too big for my garage though... my vtx fits in with less than an inch to spare. It's sad, I know... but I'm 5 minutes from a launch on the river so I can't complain.

did you demo the MB? Just curious. Your X2 is sweet btw.

I have an 08 X2 and it was between that and a VTX... I paid a lot more for the X2 ( the malibu dealer was going under here in Portland and giving his boats away) still I felt the X2 was the best boat for me, the dash on the VTX was pretty bare, no real "bling" pretty simple. I like the finish on the MC and if you are looking at anything less than a 2010 in a Malibu it won't have the new tower. I think that the VTX is a great boat and I wouldn't say don't look at it but when I compared the two I went with the X2

Ian.... If you talking to me.... which I think you are...


Thanks for the compliment!

I never did demo a MB. I have always thought they had a top notch quality look to them. I was in Oregon the other week and saw a lot of them on the road and they look GOOD.

I seriously considered an X2 and during my research found that with the platform removed and trailer tongue folded the X2 was longer overall than the Nautique 210 with the platform removed and tongue folded. My 210 with the platform removed and tongue folded is exactly 21'. I don't remember exactly what the X2 was overall, I think it was 22'4" or something close to that.

they say without the platform the boat itself it exactly 20' on the X2

Your right the boat itself without the platform is exactly 20'. The issue is because of the pickle forked front end, MC had to lengthen the overall tongue length of their trailer to keep the wide bow away from your tow vehicle during tight turns. Even with the folding tongue folded back, the overall length on the trailer was 22'4".

The X2 has a lot more room than the 210 or 220 CC
Buy the X2 you wont be sorry, they drive very well and have more room and storage than any other 20 ftr on the market. Not to mention everything thats aluminum on the X2 is plastic on the CC. The X2 has a molded interior with removable carpet compared to pieced together interior and carpet covering everything including plastic screwed down seat base in the BU.

(Message edited by woreout on September 11, 2009)

been looking at 20-22 foot boats over the last few weeks and as of right now I like the VTX best. Haven't driven the X2 yet, but from the prices I've seen on them I'm not really interested either, plus the whole reason I'd buy a 20' boat is that it fits in my garage, and the X2 won't. Right now it's between the VTX or SANTE 210. The VTX has a great wake with stock balast, and I'm looking to piggy back some more on top if I go that way. I think mastercraft is pricing itself out of the market, and I think the dash is far too busy.
If I go with a boat that won't fit in my garage I can get an AXIS fully loaded for almost half what they want an X2 for, may not be as plush, but the wake will be better, it will have more room.
Do want to test drive an MB

I liked the looks and craftsmanship of the MB... but I did not like the looks and craftsmanship of the Malibu's. Fitting the boat in my garage isnt a problem. I built it in mind of having a boat. I made it 30'x40' with a 14' eve height so that I could have a 12' door and not have to let my tower down.

So why buy a 20' boat? Do you have size restrictions on your lake? Honestly if fit and finish are your key the Natiques blow all the other boats out of the water, including the mastercrafts, plus there warranties are better. Little pricier than the malibu, but still more boat for the money than the mastercraft.

No one touches this.. straight from the MB website...

Hull Lifetime (transferable)
Deck Lifetime (transferable)
Gel Coat 3 years
Composite Swim Step 5 years
Upholstery 5 years
Carpet 5 years
Exhaust System Lifetime (excludes California Catalyst System)
Engine/Drivetrain 3 years
Anodized Hardware Lifetime
Instruments Lifetime
Blister Free 5 years

Does the upholstery include the stiching? You'd be surprised how many don't

Nautique is a front to back 5 year transferable warranty. Don't have the list, but it's damn good

i'd get a malibu v-ride...same hull as the old VLX...my favorite hull of all time...

Billy, no disrespect when I say this, but the X2 may feel large for a 20' boat, but I don't think the X2 has a lot more room than the Nautique 210.

When shopping I had my whole family with me looking at an X2 and at the 210. The roominess in them is very close, with the X2 getting more room up in the bow due to the pickle fork.

I will say this though. I was very surprised that the X2 felt bigger than an X-Star with the exception of the bow. But if you look closely the gunnels on the X2 are much narrower than most other boats which is the reason it feels so large for a 20' boat.

Nautique! NQA

Chris, how does the X2 not fit in your garage but a VTX does? Is it the height?

The VTX is just over 20' when all is said and done, the X2 is almost 22.5' long when all is said and done

really, crap when I was selling Mastercrafts 3 years ago the X2 and VTX were both 20' boats exactly. The VTX has the power wedge thing on the back to that even when lowered still sticks out an additional 8" to a foot. Does it have something to do with the new fold down platform on the X2 or the trailer sticking out further? When I was selling MC we used different trailers than the stock one's so maybe that made a difference. Then I would of guessed the X2 was at the longest 21' and the VTX right about the same.

They are both listed at exactly 20' on their websites.

(Message edited by polarbill on September 11, 2009)

They are both 20', but the trailer of the X2 makes it over 22, lowered the powerwedge is about 6"

(Message edited by cjh1669 on September 11, 2009)

Id get the TWD or step up to the F21

Noone will agree, but I would look at the Tige 20V

I agree that you should look at all the options.

JJ W. the TWB and F21 are the exact same price.

I really want to test drive some MBs, just the dealer is about an hour away, so haven't had a chance

I was in the same boat just 6 months ago... shopping for a 20' v-drive due to garage restrictions. I considered three boats:

1) X2 - Way too expensive, and nowhere near 20' on the trailer so wouldn't fit in garage. I also think it's funny how people rave about the interior size. It has a 96" beam... nothing special by today's standards. Because of price, narrow beam, and long storage length, I didn't even demo it.

2) VTX - I really wanted to like this boat. I was partial to Malibus going into the process. Here's the problem... like the X2, the VTX is also way longer than 20' on the trailer due to wedge and trailer tongue that swings back, but not all the way under the bow. It still sticks out several inches. However, I did demo it, and LOVED how it drove. I just loved the next boat a little bit more...

3) MB Team Wide Body - I never even considered MB until I stumbled upon this new model at the boat show. It's 21' 0" and on the trailer only 4" more than that (so about the same as the VTX on the trailer). Yet it's rated for 6 more people. The interior is HUGE. Also, it offers more stock ballast than any of the others, by A LOT! And it fills and empties in 1 minute! I can't overstate how much I love this feature. I chuckle to myself everytime I read about people messing with pumps, bags, fly high systems, yada, yada. I will never have to mess with any of that crap. Other things that come standard (big time upgrades on the others, or just not available): swivel racks, dual batteries, two amps, 10" sub, Zero Off GPS speed control, rear-facing observer seat behind captain's chair, tower mirror, transom seat, heater, turn-down exhaust, best trailer of the bunch, and build quality that was on par or better than the Bu. Also, I paid way, way, way less than the others would cost. Oh, and the bimini top is HUGE too... goes from the windshield all the way back to the sun deck.

Like I said, I didn't want to love the MB so much. But when you do an honest comparison, it really isn't close. The only catagory that Bu and MC win is sex appeal and flash... they look sweet and everybody at the lake will envy you. On the other hand, the MB is understated, classy, and no-nonsense.

I have learned that people on this forum are very biased towards the Big 3 and refuse to believe what's being said about the MB TWB. They like to ignore the facts that I stated above and instead complain about trivial things like graphics (folks, Mike will build it with whatever graphics you want). Just drive it and see for yourself. Do what I did and take off the blinders. If after the demo you still decide to pay $10K - $20k more for the VTX or X2, I'll be the first to congratulate you!

Here is some fun reading for you... it's my VTX vs. TWB thread from February with over 200 replies.

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/664773.html?1235285589

Chris you may want to check out CC's warranty. They have changed it, second owner gets next to nothing now.

I love MB the brilliant ballast system but not a dealer anywhere in Florida which is shocking but we dont have Sanger either.

I would buy an X-1 over an X-2 all day everyday if you are wanting a great wake.

Nauti 210 is a great boat with a great wake.

Look at the Epic as well, you get a lot of boat for the money with an Epic 23v.

Epics are sweet... but at 22'9" I'm not sure it's what the OP is looking for.

We are a little biased now after putting about 100 hrs on our TWB. Wouldn't change a thing about the boat (except the graphics). The Malibu's and MC's are sweet, but the price of the TWB and the ability to put it into the garage are hard to pass up. However, once you go Pure-Vert you will never pump again!! And, let's not forget the wake!! With seven people (comfortably) we never needed the full ballast. After spending the last week on Shasta, the TWB was the wakeboard boat and the malibu (23 LSV sacked out) was the surf boat. Demo several, then demo again.

There is no comparison none better than a SAN. Most just look at the wake and price but look at the whole boat. Wake, storage, floor layout, options and warranty. Apples to apples there's only one boat SAN.

mc all the way... x2 got one... and i love it

I just ordered a SAN 210 ... X2 is nice but overpriced, easily 30k+ over the SAN

210 SANTE, I have owned mine since Jan. I have 105 trouble free hours on it. Every time out I love it more. Great ski wake, Great surf wake and a pro level wake board wake even with stock ballast. One of the best warranties on the market with quality and resale second to none.

I dont know where you guys are getting your numbers but with the tongue folded and the platform off the X2, the total length is 20' 9". If you dont remove the platform or fold the tongue then it measures 22' 6". Here are the stats according to MC from their website:

Length: 20' 0"
Length with platform: 22' 1"
Width amidship: 96"
Length with trailer: 22' 6"
Length with sa tongue: 20' 9"
Length trailer single axle: 99"
Length trailer tandem axle: 100"
Weight: 3,500 lbs.
Single axle trailer weight: 935 lbs.
Tandem axle trailer weight: 1,100 lbs.
Fuel capacity: 45 Gallons
Depth transom: 28"
Depth amidship: 26.5"
Draft: 27"
Tow bar height to waterline: n/a
Capacity: 11 Persons or 1,609 lbs.
Model name length: 20'

I just took my X2 out yesterday and was looking at that..... it does only stick out about 9" when the tongue is folded in.

X2 needs 3000 lbs for a great wakeboarding wake from what I have heard from friends

I'll 2nd the SAN and 3rd the MB. Skip the X2 IMHO.

The funny thing is that everyone that talks poorly of the X2 gets their information for someone else "from what I have heard from friends". I think it's funny how everyone bashes this boat...Again not because I have one, but I looked at all the boats mentioned above and still went with the X2, it's about nothing more than personal choice.

You can have a lot of good fun with the stock wake and 4-5 people in the boat...

If you add about 1200 more lbs of ballast... or however many they say the fly high kit is...

they say it's incredible....

why dont you demo them? The best opinion is going to be your own opinion.... not everyone elses

I'm going to start a new thread before the season ends with pics of the X2 wake with the following three shots:

1)No Ballast
2)Factory Ballast
3)Fly High Ballast

Maybe that will dispell the myths....but I doubt it!

If you could it that would rock. I am thinking of going from my 02 x star 205v hull to an X2 all this wake stuff is scaring me a bit. I am just a Beg/Int rider.

I seriously considered X2... but there's no way its 20'9 on the trailer. I want to say around 22'... the trailer stuck out almost a foot at the front even when folded, then add the folding swim grid. Believe me, I tried measuring all sorts of ways... deal breaker for me. My VTX is 20'8 with manual wedge (down) and tongue folded.. my garage is 20'9. Sad I know, (damn new houses with stupid inflated real estate here) but it works.

do you lose the storage (anchor) under the front bow cushion with th Fly High Ballast upgrade?

I have to agree with a few on here, the X-2 takes way too much weight to just get a good wake. Factory ballast and 4 riders, the wake is laughable.
210 with factory ballast and 4 riders is a good day.

Never even laid eyes on a MB in this area though so can't comment.

i didnt care for the x-2 1 bit (wake blows). and if i had payment going out every month on one i would be pissed!! kinda sad i would rather have a 96 supersport or v205 over an 2010 x2. "seems big for a 20'" is a weak argument at best. if its a garage issue fur the back of the garage out.

882001 I don't believe that you could hate the wake enough to choose your current boat over a new X2. Maybe you wouldn't choose it if you were paying for it, but at the end of the day you can't say the boat is bad enough that a 96 supersport is better. No way, not a chance!

Everyday I log on here I am blown away how people have such passion about how if you don't have the same brand/model boat as them it is a POS. I looked at all the other boats out there but I would never get on here and talk about the reasons I didn't buy the other boat. Everyone has different idea of what they like.

This post was "what else would you get" not run your mouth about why you hate the X2.

(Message edited by gregg_rossi on September 18, 2009)

Gregg....

Good lookin X2.... Now I know who to call when I'm in Portland!

I bought a VLX instead of an X2 and couldn't be happier. I know the size is an issue to you though.

We took an X2 for a test ride and thought it was a great boat, lots of room front and back. I love the Mastercraft board racks and the way they clamp.

In the end for me the VLX won over the X2 though, price for the boat was on Malibus side.

If it came down to an X2 or a VTX and the price was the same I'd probably choose the the X2, specially if it was a 2010 with the bigger display.

We also stopped and looked at the MB's and decided not to test drive one. The quality on the boat we looked at really wasn't there.

I skipped looking at the SAN 210 because I think they are ugly.

I don't know what you guys were doing in the X2 to hate it so much. I have ridden behind two different X2's and both with stock + 1000 lbs. The wake was great. In fact, was seriously considering the X2 until I found a great deal on a XStar.

test drive and if you like it buy it. simple as that. im a hater? i dont like something that someone specificly asks about and i give my opinion and now im a hater. haha buy two or three of them,. they are awsome the best boat out there with or without ballest perfect in every way, none better of any size or shape. the x2 is the end all absolute best boat purchase anyone could ever buy. and if you do end up in any other boat you should slit your wrist because you made the wrong choice. is that better gregg?

I agree, I measured my X2 and came up with 20'9" give or take a half inch as well. With he tongue folded and platform folded yes folded down (not removed like most others boats need to do).
Bottom line is people are gonna tell you the best boat is the one they bought. The people on here that say "my friend told me" should not be even taken serious.
All the boats mentioned are good boats, if they werent they would not be sitting in peoples lifts and garages.
Some cost more some cost less, there are reasons for that and by looking at each of them you can see why in most cases.
I'm very happy with my X2 as I should be, I chose it.

performance, performance, performance. Aesthetically I feel all the newer boats are good looking. I ended up choosing the one that performed the best for what I wanted. Warranty played a large part as well.

I think the length depends on the trailer brand. I have a Sport Boat Trailer. The overall length is a little over 21'. I bet thats how people are getting all the different lengths. It would be nice if the swing away portion could be more than 18" then it could really be closer to 20' on the trailer.

I have a MC trailer

^^^ MC makes their own trailers, so not a factor here.

Some MC dealers buy other trailers to put the boats on though, so it is a factor.

My X2 sits on a Sport Boat Trailer. Thats how a lot of the M/Cs come here as the dealer orders them separately. I don't know why for sure. I've heard quality and price. I like not having the fiberglass fenders personally but Im willing to bet thats why my boat and trailer is longer than what the M/C website states.

882001 All I'm saying is that the thread is asking "what to buy instead" not tell me the reason you think the X2 sucks... Simple as that.

MB TWB. Been on the X2 and the widebody... no comparison and I own a MC but this class is dominated by the widebody.

This thread is entertaining. I have a SAN 236 tons of space and huge wake to boot. Our close friends have an 07 x2 and we spend a lot of time on it. It does take some extra weight to get the wake to a fun size but the space in the interior is great. It comfortably holds an 8 adult crew on all day outings. My only dislike is that compared to my 23ft nautique it kinda drives like a tank. But great all around boat with tons of space for a 20ft ride. Overall I think the x2 is a fine ride and I find it hard to believe that an x2 is 30k more than a sante 210. All our boats are overpriced and you should be able to find an x2 comparably priced to a 210 if the dealers have there prices set right.

My friend just picked up a 2008 leftover X1 for 42k. Not bad and I'll take it over X2 any day, also.